


A Forgotten Spot

by WhatsYourNameMan



Series: I Got Y'All Knuckleheads [8]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Foster Care, Foster dad Herc, M/M, Very vague/brief mentions of abuse, brief mention of PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 15:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10440867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatsYourNameMan/pseuds/WhatsYourNameMan
Summary: Alexander has been living with the Mulligan clan for well over a year now and he never wants to leave. Then, a forgotten figure from his past arrives at their doorstep on a mission to bring Alex home with him.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write this for two reasons:  
> 1\. I realized I forgot to account for the fact that Hamilton had a brother and  
> 2\. I wanted to explore the relationships Alex has with his adoptive brothers and fathers.
> 
> Approximate ages:  
> Alex- 15  
> John- 16  
> Laf- 17  
> James- 21

Alex had found that there was an advantage to having two fathers: all he had to do was yell "Dad!" and at least one of them was bound to answer. This time it was Herc. 

"What's up kiddo?" Herc asked tiredly, stopping in the doorway of Alex's room. He had had a busy day at work and all he wanted to do was relax, but his three teenage sons had decided that that wasn't realistic. 

"Lafayette won't stop making fun of me about Eliza." Alex glared at his brother who was sitting next to him on his bed and giggling hysterically. 

"I am not making fun of you, mon ami," Laf said as he gasped for breath. "I am just, how you say, teasing. And besides," he fought off another fit of giggles as what Alex had told him resurfaced in his memory, "you brought it upon yourself." 

Herc sighed. "Laf, leave him alone. Alex, whatever you did, I'm sure it was stupid." 

This brought protests from both boys, but Herc cut them off. "I'm taking a nap. I don't want to be disturbed. Got it?" 

Alex and Laf's murmurs of assent were cut off by the doorbell ringing. 

"For the love of Christ," Herc groaned. 

He made his way downstairs, followed by his sons. He saw that Aaron had left the breakfast bar where he was helping John with his homework and was now looking through the front window. 

"Who is it?" Herc asked, crossing to the door. 

"No idea," Aaron said. He joined his husband at the door as it was opened to reveal a young man, only a few years older than Laf, with short black hair and intelligent eyes. 

"Hello," he said. "Is this the Mulligan household?" 

"Yes," Herc said, "but I'm just gonna tell you up front: I've had a hell of a day so if you're selling something I'd appreciate it if—" 

"No, no," the young man cut him off with a laugh. He had a strange accent; it was close to Alex's, but with a trace of a Scottish brogue. "I'm not selling anything. I'm looking for Alexander Hamilton." 

Herc and Aaron exchanged a glance. What kind of trouble had Alex gotten himself into this time?

"Why?" Herc asked, not bothering to hide his suspicion. 

"Sorry, I should probably introduce myself. I'm James Hamilton, Alexander's older brother. I've come to bring him home."


	2. Chapter Two

Everyone in the room turned to look at Alex, who looked like he had just seen a ghost. He stared at James for a moment, then without warning bolted up the stairs. John and Laf turned back to their fathers with fear in their eyes. 

"I think you better come in and sit down," Herc said slowly to James. "We're going to go have a talk with Alexander. John, Laf, make him feel comfortable." 

Herc and Aaron were shocked by what they found when they reached Alex's room. For once in his life he was completely still. He wasn't pacing, or muttering, or writing, or even fidgeting. He sat bolt upright on his bed, staring at the wall. He didn't even seem to register the presence of the two men. 

"Alex?" Herc asked quietly. 

"Please don't let him take me," Alex whispered. 

"We're not going to, kiddo, don't worry." Herc sat down on his left and Aaron took his right. 

"Why didn't you tell us you have a brother?" Aaron asked. 

Alex shook his head. "I don't, legally. He disowned me." 

"Why would he do that?" Herc asked. 

Alex hesitated as he thought about how best to tell his story. "He was eighteen when Mama died. He could've been my legal guardian, but instead he stuck me in foster care. He said he was going to look for my father, and then he'd send for me." 

"Do you think he found your dad?" Aaron asked. "Is that why he's here now?" 

"I know he found my dad," Alex said. "Three years ago. He wrote me a letter. He said he found our father in Scotland, but he wasn't ready to take in a kid. He said we'd probably never see each other again, that I was better off in America, that I didn't need him anymore. Then he legally disowned me so I could never be his responsibility." 

Alex wasn't aware he was crying until Herc wiped away a tear.

"That's horrible, Alex," Herc said, wrapping his son in a hug. "Why anyone wouldn't want you in their lives, I don't know."

"As much as I hate to remind you of this," Aaron said, "your asshole of a brother is downstairs in our living room. We should probably address that." 

Alex looked at Aaron with an expression of pure terror. 

"It'll be okay," Aaron said. He squeezed Alex's hand. "We'll be right there with you." 

Alex didn't respond; he couldn't. His breath was coming too fast. He felt the beginnings of a panic attack, and his fathers recognized this. 

"Hey, hey," Herc said. "Breathe. It's okay. You don't have to go down there yet if you don't want to. Aaron and I will talk to him first and you can come down when you feel ready."

Alex nodded and took a shaky breath. "Okay. Thank you." 

Aaron gave him a hug. "We'll send Laf and John up." 

The adults left and a few moments later the other two boys were hovering in the doorway. They were studying Alex with similar looks on their faces. Alex couldn't tell what they meant. 

"You guys can come in." 

They stepped inside hesitantly and closed the door. They still didn't say anything, and Alex felt frustration rise within him. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he demanded. 

"You did not tell us you had a brother," Laf said quietly with something like hurt in his voice. 

"A real brother," John practically spat. 

Alex looked up at them in disbelief. "You guys are my real brothers." 

Neither of them were meeting his eyes. 

"You seriously think I'd rather live with him?" Alex asked incredulously. 

"If either of us had living family that wanted us we would not have ever been in foster care," Laf said. 

" _You're_ my living family that wants me," Alex said, standing up and taking the older boy by the shoulders. "Laf, what are you talking about?" 

John crossed his arms and huffed. "He was telling us 'bout how close you two were on Nevis. That there's no way you'd stay here with us." 

"John," Alex said. "James doesn't know anything about me. He hasn't made any attempt to contact me in three years. He disowned me. He doesn't want anything to do with me, and I don't want anything to do with him." 

Alex could tell his brothers still didn't believe him, so he dragged them so they were sitting on either side of him on his bed.

"You guys were the ones who made me feel wanted. You were the ones who braided my hair every day when I broke my arm. You were the ones who helped me get past the first date with Eliza, who helped me deal with the bullies at school, who help calm me down from panic attacks, who took me in and made your home my home. You know what James did? He ran off to Scotland and left me to die in a hurricane." He took each of their hands. "You guys are my big brothers, not him. You're the only brothers I need." 

Laf and John finally gave in. They wrapped their arms around Alex, and Alex felt teardrops hitting his head. They were probably Laf's. 

"For what it's worth," John said, "you're a great little brother." 

"Mon petit lion," Laf sniffled. "Je t'aime." 

"Je t'aime," Alex replied, then, to John, "Te amo."

"Te amo," John answered. He squeezed Alex tighter. "Promise me you won't leave us?" 

"I'd never leave you guys," Alex said. "Never."


	3. Chapter Three

Neither Hercules nor Aaron knew how to start this conversation with James. Herc was crushing Aaron's hand with his grip, so Aaron assumed he was too tense to talk. 

"So." Aaron cleared his throat. "May I ask why you're here?" 

"I told you," James said. "To bring Alexander home with me." 

"But why now?" Aaron asked. "Alex said you disowned him. There were no mentions of you in his adoption papers." 

"Adoption papers?" James asked, genuinely surprised. 

"Yes, adoption papers," Herc said shortly, speaking for the first time. "We adopted him. He's our son." 

James raised an eyebrow, and it was eerily similar to an expression the two men had seen Alex make many times before. "Really? They let you do that with his real father alive?"

Hercules winced at the words "real father." 

"He doesn't even remember his 'real father,'" Herc growled. "In case you forgot, he abandoned you. And you abandoned Alex." 

"I didn't abandon him," James tried to argue. 

"Yes, you did," Aaron said sharply. Normally he wasn't this confrontational, but this was his son they were talking about. "Alex has gone through a ton of shit in his life, and over half of it could have been avoided if you had stayed with him. Now don't get me wrong, I am so glad Alex ended up here, because he's my son and I love him, but he's still trying to deal with all the pain he's had to suffer because of you." 

"Both you and your father gave up legal guardianship of Alex," Hercules said. "He's our son now. He doesn't want to go with you, and we won't let him." 

"Maybe we should ask Alexander himself," James said, his confidence not rattled. 

"Then ask me." 

The three men turned to see Alex standing in the entrance to the living room, his face still very pale. He was being steadied by Laf and John, who were standing on either side of him. 

"Alexander," James said. "Don't you want to come with me? Back to your real family?" 

Alex took a shaky step forward but spoke with confidence. "No. You're not my real family. This is my real family." 

"Alexander..." 

"No," Alex said again. "You were never there for me when I needed you. You weren't there when Mama died, or during the hurricane, or when I was being beat up and kicked out of foster homes. You weren't there through the abuse and the anxiety and the PTSD. Herc and Aaron and Laf and John were. So I'm sorry but no." 

"Alexander, I know I haven't been around for you before, and I'm so sorry. I want to be there for you now." James's voice sounded sincere, but his eyes still had a calculating look to them. 

"Why now?" Alex asked. "Why not when Mama died? Or when I almost died in the hurricane? Or any of the numerous times I was in the hospital? Why now?"

"Our father is dead, Alexander." A cold stillness fell over the room as James said the words. "He died last week. I know you don't remember him, but he was a good man. I came to get you for the funeral and then take you back to live in Scotland with me. I have a job and a house now. I can support you. I need you, Alexander. I need someone to help me through this. I was close to him." 

"We were closer to Mama," Alex said quietly. As he spoke, he grew more confident. "I needed you three years ago when the woman who raised us died. You weren't there for me, so why I should I be there for you?" 

"Alexander—"

"I'm staying here, with my real fathers and my real brothers. Goodbye James." 

James tried to argue but Alex cut him off again. "I said goodbye." 

"Mr. Hamilton," Aaron said, standing up, "I believe it's time for you to leave." 

Once James had been escorted from the house, Alex was surrounded by his family and trapped in a group hug. He squirmed a little bit but he was glad for the comfort provided by being close to the people he loved. 

"I thought we were going to lose you," Herc whispered, squeezing Alex tight. 

Alex shook his head as best he could in the stuffy hug. "Never."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm @justsmilingmoreandtalkingless on tumblr if you want to discuss these fics, request other ones, or hate on John Adams with me.


End file.
